


I don’t do what your brother tells me

by Iolanfg



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: M/M, Mystrade Monday Prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:41:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27867774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iolanfg/pseuds/Iolanfg
Summary: - That doesn’t mean I do  your brother asks me to do. And I also ask him things sometimes. That’s what normal people do: they do favors and ask for them in return.Sherlock laughed as John shook his head, still with that annoying smile on his face.- Oh, please, Mycroft does nothing for anyone. Unless he has something to gain in return. Even when I ask for something, it’s always in exchange for something else. Why do you think it would be different with you?Greg Lestrade proved to be smarter than a Holmes.Mystrade Monday Prompt : Just smile. I really need you to smile right now.
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes & Greg Lestrade, Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Comments: 6
Kudos: 121





	I don’t do what your brother tells me

**Author's Note:**

> It all belongs to Doyle, Gatiss and Moffat.  
> English is not my first language, sorry for any mistakes.  
> Thank you for reading!

\- John, can you talk some sense into him so we can go home?  
\- Nobody forces you to be here, Lestrade. Oh, yes, I had forgotten, actually someone forces you to be here...  
\- For the umpteenth time, Sherlock, I don’t do what your brother tells me!  
Greg decided to ignore John’s ironic smile as he ran his hand through his hair, frustrated.  
\- And yet here you are, trying to prevent me from doing my job, why he asked you to.  
Greg looked at the door of the house that the detective consultant had decided to break into that night, convinced he would find the stolen jewelry there. Jewels that Mycroft needed to stay there one more night, so he could use them as an excuse for MI5 agents to break into the house and arrest the owner for even more serious but hardly demonstrable crimes without access to the house.  
\- Oh, yes, he asked me to stop you two from ending up in a dungeon, again. You’re welcome, by the way. That doesn’t mean I do your brother asks me to do. And I also ask him things sometimes. That’s what normal people do: they do favors and ask for them in return.  
Sherlock laughed as John shook his head, still with that annoying smile on his face.  
\- Oh, please, Mycroft does nothing for anyone. Unless he has something to gain in return. Even when I ask for something, it’s always in exchange for something else. Why do you think it would be different with you?   
\- It is not that you "favors" are free, Sherlock. And I would bet that it is more what you owe to him than what he owes to you.  
Sherlock gave him a poisonous look.  
\- Ah yes? Well, since you are so sure of yourself, let’s put you theory into practice. You will ask him to do something for you, something simple. You could call him right now and ask him to drop whatever he’s doing to come get you. Not send a car, he has to come get you himself.  
The DI looked at him for a moment.   
It was twelve o'clock at night and it tasted as well as Sherlock that Mycroft had had an exhausting week of express travel and marathon meetings. And they were on the other side of town.  
Greg was ready to say no, that he had nothing to prove to anyone, but after thinking about it for a moment, he smiled with irony.  
\- Good. And what do I gain if I get it?  
\- Let’s see. If you get it, which you won’t, I’ll do something you ask. Whatever. If he doesn’t come, you’ll leave and let me continue with my case.  
After a few minutes, the eldest finally nodded.  
\- Anything I ask you?  
Sherlock and John smiled.  
\- Anything.  
\- Well.  
Greg picked up the phone to dial the number of the older Holmes, while still looking at the other two.   
Mycroft answered almost immediately.  
\- Mycroft? Yes, forgive me for calling so late.... No, all right, just... Look, I’m with your brother and John and I’m freezing here. I left my car at the Yard to follow them and there is no way to get a taxi around here.... Would you mind...? Yes? Sure it’s no bother? Yeah, well, that would be great. Thank you, thank you very much.  
Greg colgó, mirando a los dos hombres con una expresión triunfal.  
Greg hung up, looking at the two men with a triumphant expression.  
\- He’ll be here in 15 minutes.  
The other two laughed, mocking the detective’s disbelief. Thirteen minutes later, a black car with tinted windows stood right where the three men stood. Greg gave them a big smile.  
\- He sent a car, that’s not...  
Sherlock’s response was left unfinished when the vehicle’s back door opened and Mycroft Holmes stepped out into the icy night, looking tired but immaculate as always in his three-piece suit.  
\- Detective Inspector, Sherlock, Doctor Watson, good evening.  
Greg gave him a polite smile, while the other two looked at them, incredulous.  
\- Good evening, Mycroft. Thank you for picking me up.  
\- No problem. Everything okay?  
\- Yes, it is. Sherlock has reconsidered his position and has decided to leave this case in the very capable hands of MI5, as you requested, so our presence here is no longer necessary.  
Sherlock turned on Greg, clearly upset.  
\- I do not...  
Greg wouldn’t let him finish, smiling smugly.  
\- Anything, Sherlock, remember?  
Young Holmes snorted, annoyed, looking at John. The doctor looked at him with a funny gesture.  
\- Well, actually, he has won...  
Sherlock glared at Greg, gritting his teeth.  
\- Good. All right.  
Mycroft gave them a perplexed look, not understanding what it was all about, but decided he would discover it later.  
\- Well, I’m glad to hear that. I guess we can leave then. Do your need a ride home, Sherlock?  
Sherlock gave her a grumpy look, raising his collar from his coat as he began to walk away.  
\- No, that won’t be necessary. Come on, John!  
John directed a farewell gesture, cursing his friend’s stubbornness and envying Greg, who was already getting into the car, thinking he would also prefer to return home in a car with central heating.  
****  
\- Oh, come on, Sherlock, don’t be childish!  
Greg knew his little victory weeks ago would not be easily forgotten. What he didn’t count on was that the young advisor could be so spiteful, even though Mycroft had warned him once they managed to stop laughing at the DI ruse.  
Sherlock gave him a rough look, still standing over the body.  
\- I am not childish! I just don't have to tell you the obvious!  
\- And why did you come, if you don't want to help? Or do you simply not know what happened?  
Sherlock pouted, looking at John, who rolled his eyes.  
\- He's still upset about...  
\- I'm not upset! I know he cheated! I don't know how, but he did, John. Maybe he used a code word...  
\- Sherlock...  
A few yards away, Anderson scolded them to hurry up, earning a string of insults and embarrassing deductions from Sherlock.  
\- Look, Sherlock, if you don't want to help it's fine, but then go and stop insulting my team. We'll sort it out ourselves.  
Sherlock burst out laughings in disbelief.  
\- As if you could do anything without my help... Maybe you could ask my brother's advice, since you're such "friends".  
The young man drew the inverted commas in the air, while Greg snorted.  
\- Look, yes, maybe I should do it. I'm sure I'd have the case closed before lunch.  
\- So do it!  
\- Sherlock, look I don't have time for....  
\- Call my brother and get him to solve your damn case. Now.You know he won't.   
\- Is that another bet?  
\- Yeah! You say you do each other favors, don't you? Let's see it.   
Greg looked around. He needed to finish processing the scene, and he needed to solve the case before six o'clock if he didn't want his Weekend off to be ruined. I knew Mycroft was busy, but...  
\- Is it another gamble?  
\- Yes!  
\- Good. If I get your brother to solve the crime, you'll be respectful and polite to my team for two months. No insults, no deductions. Maybe you'll get used to it.  
Sherlock and John looked at each other, undecided.  
\- Don't you dare?   
\- Yes, of course I do!  
Greg picked up the phone, dialing the phone number he already knew by heart.  
\- Mycroft? Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could help me with a case that.... Yes, I’ll wait........ Wait a minute, that was the Prime Minister you just fired? I'm sorry, I... Ah, if it's all right, you see...  
After ten minutes of questions about the victim and the scene, with John taking photographs and sending them to Mycroft's post mail, the case was closed, to the bemused gaze of Sherlock and John.  
\- Happy?  
\- What did he ask for in return? You can't just....  
\- I told you Sherlock. Mycroft does things I ask him to do too. Now, if you don't mind, I have a murderer to stop. Remember: two months of unimpeachable behaviour.   
Snorting, Sherlock left, ignoring Greg's huge smile, while John made a gesture of apology before following him.  
****  
\- Your brother is coming here. It looks like the case will go to Ml5 now.  
Sherlock grunted, but said nothing as he continued to look at the two victims. The last fortnight had been the quietest of crime scenes that Greg could remember. Although it was clear that he was struggling, Sherlock was keeping his promise not to insult the other officers.  
\- Get him to bring you a coffee.  
\- What?  
\- My brother. You've shown that he can help you when it comes to a job. All right. But you'll never get him to do you a personal favour.  
Greg looked at him for a moment, thinking of the twenty or so cold cases that had been transferred to him from Gregson's department and that Sherlock had refused to even look at.   
With a sigh, he took out his mobile phone while John looked at him with a funny smile.  
\- Come on, Greg, you don't have to do this. You'll get yourself deported to Siberia or worse...  
\- Mycroft? Yes, sorry, since you are on your way, I was wondering if you could bring me a coffee. I barely had breakfast and... Yes, that is. Sure, that would be great. Thank you, see you. Bye. Well, Sherlock. That’s it.  
\- That will have to be seen.   
\- Good. Now, this is a bet. If I win, you will solve the cold cases I have accumulating dust in my office. Okay?  
Sherlock gave her a sly smile before nodding. And he kept it up until he saw the MI5 officers take over the scene quickly and efficiently, led by a Mycroft who was, calm and unflappable as always, approached them with a coffee cup to go and a brown paper bag.  
\- Good morning, gentlemen. Here you are, Gregory, the coffee you asked for. I thought you might need something to go with it, so I brought some doughnuts too.  
Greg turned around with a big smile.  
\- Oh, thank you. That's very thoughtful of you, Mycroft.  
\- Really? You brought him coffee and doughnuts?   
Mycroft cocked his head to John's surprised tone.  
\- That's right. I didn't know you and Sherlock were here, otherwise....  
\- Would you have brought us too?  
Mycroft gave him a tight-lipped smile.  
\- No. Not really. I'm not a waiter, Dr. Watson. And now, if you don't mind...  
With a gesture, the two older men said goodbye to walk the scene of the crime, leaving the younger mens sharing surprised glances.  
***  
\- Just smile. I really need you to smile right now.  
From the other side of the police tape, Mycroft arched an eyebrow.  
\- A bomb could blow up Parliament in a few minutes. I don't think this situation will bring a smile to I face.  
Greg waved his hand, dismissing the argument.  
\- The bomb squad has it under control. They're just checking that there are no more explosive devices.  
Mycroft looked past the DI's back, discovering his brother and his flatmate staring at them. He looked back at the DI.  
\- Is this another bet?  
The man flashed that smile that made his legs shake.  
\- Yes. Sherlock decided that the coffee thing was just so that I wouldn't get angry about you taking a case away from me. He wants something more personal. If I get it, he has promised not to call me once during my holiday. And that he won't get into any trouble with the law. Which means we'll have a fortnight of peace and quiet, just you and me, love.  
After a few seconds Mycroft smiled.   
Not a smile of commitment like he gave to politicians and colleagues, nor that tense smile he sometimes gave to his brother. It was a real smile, one that only Greg had had the privilege of seeing, one that made his face light up while his eyes glowed, that made tiny wrinkles appear at the corner of his eyes and a small dimple form on his cheeks. The smile that he always dedicated to Greg when he saw him, and that made the man want to embrace him more than he had ever wanted anything in his life.  
However, he did not. With a complicity smile, he walked away from Mycroft to the two men who were looking at him with their eyes like plates.  
\- What did you say to he?  
\- Nothing, John. I filled him in on the job and asked him to smile.  
\- You asked him to what...? That wasn't a smile, it was.... I haven't seen him smile like that since... Well, never.  
\- Maybe you've never asked politely, Sherlock. Or you've just never given him much cause to smile. Well, my holiday officially starts in three hours. Remember our deal, yeah?  
****  
John looked at his flatmate with a scowl.  
\- Are you telling me that you invited Mycroft to come here voluntarily?  
\- Yes, John. And keep your voice down.  
Looking behind his back to make sure the political advisor was still sitting in the chair with his back to them, John spoke again.  
\- Are they about to arrest you or something?  
\- No, John. I didn't invite Mycroft to save me any trouble. I've invited him because I think he might have a problem.  
\- I'm sorry?  
With a conspiratorial air, Sherlock approached his friend, whispering.  
\- I think Lestrade might be blackmailing him.  
\- What?!  
\- Sh, don't scream! Don't you see? All those things Mycroft does for him... It's not normal! Mycroft has no friends, he doesn't do favours. He's all about deals and business. So why does he do it?  
John looked at him, thoughtful. But whatever answer he was going to give was interrupted by the sound of knocking on the door and Greg's voice opening it.  
\- Hello! Sherlock, I've got the files you asked for and... Oh, hello, Mycroft, I didn't expect to see you here.  
\- Hello, Gregory. Yes, I was invited. However, I was just about to leave...  
From the kitchen, the other two followed the conversation in silence.  
\- Did you ask Greg to come?  
\- Yes. Seeing them together I will know if my suspicions are true and....  
\- Sherlock, as unlikely as it is, have you considered the possibility that your brother and Greg are simply friends?  
\- Oh, come on, Mycroft doesn't have that. ....  
John opened his mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by Greg's voice at the kitchen door.  
\- Sherlock, I don't have much time. I'll just leave this here. Your brother's offered to take me to the Yard, so...  
Sherlock gave John a dubious look. Well, maybe he was right and Lestrade and Mycroft were friends, with nothing murky going on.  
He came up with a way to find out.  
\- Wait, Greg. Come in for a moment. Remember that Dimmock case I refused to participate in and you asked me to look into?  
\- Yes.  
\- Good. I'm willing to do that. But in exchange for one thing...  
\- Haven't you had enough of your gambling? You always lose.  
Sherlock gave him a smile before leaning into Greg's ear and whispering something. The DI looked at him, shaking his head, before leaving the kitchen and addressing Mycroft, who had already risen from his seat and was preparing to leave.  
Sherlock turned to John, his back to the two men.  
\- Well, now we'll know if your theory is true.  
John looked at the two men in the lounge, where Greg was whispering something into Mycroft's ear, what started to smile, before turning his attention back to Sherlock.  
\- What have you done?  
\- I asked for the most difficult yet: to get Mycroft to give him a human gesture.  
John looked at Mycroft and Greg again, and his eyes opened like plates.  
\- Sherlock...   
\- Yes, John, I know it's difficult to get a human gesture from my brother, but I asked him for something simple. A pat on the back, a handshake.   
\- Sherlock, they...  
\- Yes, I know it's almost impossible for Mycroft to show emotion, but...  
\- Sherlock!  
\- What?!  
\- They're kissing.  
Sherlock blinked, convinced he heard wrong.  
\- What?  
John pointed at the two men. Sherlock turned to find the image of Greg Lestrade wrapping one of his arms around his brother's neck, the other was resting on his chest and his hand was resting on Mycroft's bicep. Mycroft had wrapped one arm around the DI's waist while his other hand caressed his back. The two kissed passionately, quite naturally, as if they were used to doing so. It took an eternity for them to separate, so much so that the small part of Sherlock's brain that was still functioning wondered if they weren't in danger of running out of oxygen.  
The two men finally parted, smiling at each other before turning to each John y Sherlock.  
\- Is this human enough?  
\- I... You...  
\- Well, that was fun, Sherlock. But, frankly, apart from waxing my car, and I will never let you near it, I don't know what else I could make you do for me, so...  
\- You... You...   
Greg and Mycroft had a good laugh at the perplexity of the detective and his blogger.  
\- Frankly, brother, I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner. You're starting to lose it...  
\- But... You! John! Them! They are...  
\- Yes, Sherlock, I can see that they...  
\- Mycroft! You and Lestrade... You...  
\- Yes, Gregory and I, Sherlock. Call me when you’ve regained the ability to speak. However, I hope that this will not happen too soon. There are a few more "human gestures" that Gregory and I would like to share before we have to go back to work, if you understand what I mean...  
Still laughing and holding hands, Mycroft and Greg left the flat, knowing that the astonished expression of Sherlock and John, standing in the middle of the kitchen not knowing what to say would, accompany they for a long time.


End file.
